This invention relates to exhaust systems for vehicles having internal combustion engines and, more particularly, to exhaust systems for such engines which reduce and eliminate pollution from the exhaust of such engines.
Recent governmental pollution control requirements in the United States and other countries have spawned many anti-pollution exhaust systems and pollutioncontrol systems for internal combustion engines. Such control standards generally limit the emissions of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, and smoke (minute solid particles) from the exhausts of vehicles. Many of the prior known systems have utilized filtering devices such as activated charcoal filters, liquid filters, various filtering screens, and the like. Some require the use of particular chemicals making them expensive to use and operate. In certain of the prior systems, water or another liquid is sprayed into the exhaust from an internal combustion engine, allowed to pass through the normal muffling devices of the exhaust system and thereafter is separated into liquid and gas portions. Sudh systems have tended to be complicated and therefore expensive and difficult to maintain.
It has recently been discovered that a simplified, compact anti-pollution, exhaust-purifying, exhaust system for vehicles having internal combustion engines is possible based on the principle of liquid scrubbing. Such system utilizes water or commonly available antifreeze solutions of the type normally used in the cooling systems of automobiles or other vehicles and eliminates the need for complex apparatus, uncommon, expensive chemicals, and other inconveniences which have made prior known systems impractical.
In addition, certain exhaust systems for reducing air pollution require the use of non-leaded or unleaded gasoline for proper operation. The present system allows the use of any type of fuel including all grades of gasoline, diesel fuels, and the like.